A Hello Would Be Nice
by XxOo
Summary: Booth's been out of the picture for almost 5 years. Now, just as suddenly as he left, he's back. No surprise, but things have changed, read to find out how.Sorry, I haven't mastered the art of summaries yet. This is my first Bones fanfic,please review.
1. Chapter 1

"What are you doing here?" demanded Dr. Brennan harshly.

"I work here," he replied nonchalently.

"Wrong. You haven't worked here for almost 4 years." Her icey eyes bore into him.

"Well I'm back." He said cheerfully, smiling at her.

"From where?" Brennan inquired.

"I took a job undercover... then I ended up working on a couple cases in different departments."

"For almost 4 years?"

"I thought we'd established that," he said with a defensive tone to his voice.

"Hmmm. So you're back." She stated, her stomache suddenly doing somersaults.

"To stay! I'm sorry Bones, really, I am. I know it was bad timing, but I needed to think, and you probably did too. I just needed some time alone... then one thing lead to another and-"

"And here we are today."

"I guess so. Forgive me? I didn't mean to disapear completely, but, well, that's kind of the point of being undercover. Parker didn't even know why he wasn't seeing his daddy anymore." Booth added to make Bones feel better about the whole sitation. He'd acted rashly, and now he regreted it. But wasn't it enough that he'd come back to fix things?

Just then, Angela walked into the scene, looking a little calmer and more patient then the last time he'd seen her. If you could even tell those things from looking at someone. Some changes were certain, her hair was shorter and she had what he assumed to be a... baby bump?

Not even noticing him there, she started speaking to Brennan, "Hey Bren, mind if I pick up Kailey from daycare? Maybe take her to dinner or something? OR, she could even spend the night with me and Jack... I just really need to get as much practice in as I can. Not that practice with Kailey helps much, she's too much of an angel really..." seeing the look on Brennan's face, she stopped her ramblings. "What am I missing here?" she asked, turning to follow where her friend's gaze was directed then staring wide eyed. "Oh," she said more to herself.

"So Ange, did she say yes? 'Cause I'm all done here and-" Dr. Jack Hodgins finally came into view. "What's he doing here?" he asked jabbing a thumb in Booth's direction.

Ignoring Booth and Hodgins's question, Brennan pulled her friends aside to talk to them. "Angela, Jack, you'd normally be doing me a favour picking up Kailey, but I'd rather do it myself tonight. Thanks anyways. Is tomorrow night still good? I'm sure she'd love a little extra time with her 'aunt' and 'uncle'. For now though... I want her near me."

"To remind you that it was all worth it, right?" Hodgins asked putting his hand on Brennan's shoulder, "Maybe introduce her to Booth?"

"JACK!" Angela slapped her husband's hand. "We'll leave you and Booth alone now sweetie," she declared leading hodgins away as he rubbed his hand.

Brennan could hear him complaining about his hand and smiled at her friend's backs. She knew it wouldn't be long until she talked to Angela again, it would probably only take a few hours for her to get over the initial shock of seeing Booth again and break down crying. She headed back towards where Booth was still standing, waiting for her.

"So..." Booth started, nervous about asking the question that was on his mind.

"So? So what? So is not a sentence Booth. Spit it out." She was in a hurry now that she'd be picking up Kailey herself. She didn't have time for this.

"Who's Kailey?" Booth questioned, not able to look Brennan in the eyes while asking.

"My niece," Brenna lied, "I have to go pick her up now... so if you'll excuse me..." she tried to walk past him and toward her office but he stepped in her way.

"When did you get a niece?"

"When did it become your buisness?" Brennan pushed past him but he grabbed her arm.

She spun around, ready to make him regret his actions but couldn't bring herself to do it. "I've had a niece ever since my brother got a woman pregnant and he dumped her on me." She made her lie more elaborate.

"Which was how long ago?"

"What is this? I'm not under arest, and we're not in an interrogation room. Now if you're excuse me, I have a feeling that if I'm late picking her up one more time the daycare's planning on setting social services on me." She yanked her arm out of his death grip and entered her office, gathering some files she wanted to review at home.

"Sorry, I hadn't realized your need to leave was quite so serious Bones. Perhaps I should just meet you later... at your apartment?" he followed her out to her car.

"Or you could not. Booth, things have changed. I've adjusted to your absence. Frankly, I don't need you, nor want you, in my life anymore. However, I don't exactly have a choice in this matter, so I'll see you tomorrow." She closed her car door and started pulling out of her parking space.

"Nice to see you again too Bones." Booth muttered walking back into the lab.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this took so long... gives you all freshly baked muffins in apology**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing but my own randomness.**

Brennan took a deep breath and turned off her engine, walking into Playmates Daycare Centre. There were already a few other mothers waiting to pick up their kids too, inculding Brennan's friend from Mommy and Me, Alissa Jonson. "Tempe! You're actually early for once!" her friend exclaimed. "Is something wrong? This never happens."

"I know you were joking but actually, there is. My ex partner showed up at work today. He got his old job back. Al, it's been nearly 4 years, why now?"

"Oh my Tempe. We're talking about the ex partner who knocked you up then disapeared off the face of the earth? _That_ ex partner? Jeez, I don't know what to say."

"That's a first," Brennan smiled.

"Don't make me hurt you Tempe," Alissa warned.

At this Brennan laughed, "You've never hurt anything Al."

"That can change," she joked shaking her fist. "Although, I think I'd be more likely to hurt what's his name..."

"Thanks Alissa, I really needed the laugh." Alissa was only just over 5 feet tall, and very slender. Not only was it hard to imagine her hurting someone considering her good nature, but it was hard to think of it as possible.

"Any time. If you still need a laugh tomorrow night, maybe you can come to my place. Bill's just set up the big screen TV with suround sound, and we thought it'd be fun to have a horror movie night. A few of the other girls from the usual Mommy and Me gang will be there. It's perfect, while we're getting to scared half to death and laughing at eachother the husbands can watch whatever sport's on in the basement and make use of Bill's bar. Plus, and we're all sending our kids off to relatives... It'll be fun. Say you'll be there? You need to stop worrying about everything for just one night."

"Actually Al, that's perfect timing. My friend Angela wanted to borrow Kailey tonight, but I postponed it to tomorrow."

"Angela's the one that's pregnant, right?"

"She is," Brennan comfermed, "She wants some practice before her due date."

Alissa snorted, "She does know Kailey's a perfect angel, right? If she really wants to know what she's in for, she'd be better off taking my Daniel for the night."

Brennan smiled, "Kailey really is an angel," she bit her lip, "I just don't know if I'm ready for her to stay the night somewhere... Espeacially after what happened today."

"Come on Tempe, if you're planning on being normal for once and having the metal breakdown that this situation calls for, you're not gonna want to have Kailey nearby to witness it. She'd be better off at your friend's place. Plus, if you do decide to break down, you'll have a full support group of your fellow mothers there for you." Alissa reasoned.

"I guess your argument is rational." Brennan paused, "OK, I give in."

"Finally!" Alissa cheered. "It's about time you accepted one of my invitations! Now, back to you know who. What do you think he wants? Surely not Kailey..." Alissa brought the conversation back to a more serious note.

"No, he doesn't even know she exists. Well, he does, but I told him she was my niece." Brennan explained, just as a blur of auburn curls came running into her legs. "Well hello there Kailey,"she said to the three year old clinging to her legs.

"MommyImadeyouapichure!" Kailey told Brennan's legs.

"That's great Angel," she ruffled her daughter's hair. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow Al."

"I'll probably still be here. Daniel takes forever to leave," she complained. Crouching down she tapped Kailey on the back, "Buh-bye sweet thing,"

"Bye Auntie Al," she giggled still latched on to her mother.

"Before you go Kailey, could you do me a favour? Will you let go of your mommy for me please?" she asked standing up.

"'K," she let go and imediatly started prattling off about what she did today.

_Thank you _Brennan mouthed to her friend as she took Kailey's backpack and lead her out the door. _For everything_, she silently added

--

She'd barely started thinking of making dinner when there was a familiar knock on the door.

"Mommy I wanna answer!!!" Kailey jumped up from her 'colouring' and ran towards the door.

"Angel, why don't you go back to colouring your beautiful pictures? It's my turn to answer the door, remember?" she referred to the deal they'd made to take turns opening the door. It was brilliant really, because Kailey never remembered if it was her turn or not.

Brennan paused before opening the door, knowing just from the knock who it was, and imediatly wondering if it was pathetic that she remembered how he knocked after all this time. Finally, she unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door a crack. "What do you want?"

"Well, I really want people to start saying hello when they see me for starters, Bones," Booth joked.

"Hello, don't call me Bones, goodbye," Brennan made a move to shut the door but Booth's convinently placed foot got in the way.

"Not so fast. In case you've forgotten my absence, we have a lot of catching up to do. How 'bout you start."

"How's this for a start, I waited. I waited until Kailey was 2. That's around when I figured out Angela was right, you weren't coming back. Yet here you are..." Brennan stared at him, hardly believing he was real and outside her apartment.

"Yes, here I am, to stay this time. No more bolting." Booth promised, looking her right in the eyes.

"I want to trust you, but... I think that's the one thing I don't remember how to do. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to make dinner," she stepped back.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Plenty of things may have changed, but one thing that didn't is how stubborn I am. I'm not going to forget all the heartbreak you caused me and invite you in for dinner just like that," Brennan snapped her fingers.

"Bones... I missed you. All I want to do know if to fix what I messed up and make up for the things I did, will you let me?"

"I don't know why I'm giving into you so easily seeing as I've spent years hating you, but I guess this couldn't do too much damage. Come on in," she welcomed him grudgingly.


End file.
